


it was only a ring

by AthenaDione



Category: DCU, Justice League vs. Teen Titans (2016), Teen Titans - All Media Types, Teen Titans: The Judas Contract (2017)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-19
Updated: 2021-01-19
Packaged: 2021-03-18 07:48:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,134
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28863579
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AthenaDione/pseuds/AthenaDione
Summary: He doesn’t understand why it seems so important to her.[One-Shot]
Relationships: Raven & Damian Wayne, Raven/Damian Wayne
Comments: 9
Kudos: 91





	it was only a ring

He doesn’t understand why it seems so important to her. 

Mad Hatter had returned with a seemingly new obsession with stealing what he thought was each of their most valuable possessions.

It had been rather annoying really, and by the time they had apprehended the villain Damian realized that he indeed managed to steal a few of their possessions right from under their noses. Aside from the disconcerting fact that Mad Hatter had most certainly gotten his hands on some pretty stealthy tech, he had managed to steal something so small that its absence had almost gotten overlooked.  _ Almost _ .

He had been watching her after they had handed over Mad Hatter to the JCPD. Usually Raven was content to let the others give statements while she idly stood nearby, observing the interaction with a careful eye.

Today though, she approached the captain of the police force and he had barely caught her low question.

“Did any of your men happen to find a ring within the confines of his pockets?”

The man shook his head, giving her an apologetic look, and her eyes fell. The movement was nearly imperceptible, and to the untrained eye no one would have noticed, but he  _ did _ .

She had been devastated.

It was only a ring, he thought, but it was clearly something she treasured- which was huge because Raven rarely indulged in the materialistic things of earth. That ring was special, somehow.

There was only one option left at this point.

He visited Mad Hatter and met him in the interrogation room, tore him apart, and didn’t cease until he got the answers he needed. It didn’t bother him in the slightest. He had been trained to withstand interrogations, and was familiar with standard proceedings. A few snarling questions and well placed threats had Hatter shaking in his chair practically shouting what he had done with it.

The harder part was tracking it down.

After five visits to different pawn shops all spread throughout the city he finds it. In a hole in the wall building tucked away on the corner of an older street. The writings on the sign had faded and the building itself looked like it was just shy of crumpling into hundreds of pieces. The inside had an old musty odor, and he crinkled his nose in disgust when he opened the door.

Thankfully the jewelry was assorted near the front, and it only takes a few seconds to walk to the counter. After a few minutes of scanning he fishes it out of a decorative bowl filled to the brim with gold and silver rings alike.

He inspects it thoroughly, nodding absentmindedly to himself when it matches the exact description Mad Hatter gave him. It’s made of Azarathian gold, with strange markings printed alongside it. The top brands a bright red stone that’s not quite a ruby. He’s not sure what kind of stone it is actually, but he’s sure it’s not from this earth.

“How much did you pay for this ring?” He asks the owner who scoffs at the object in question,

“It’d be practically worthless if not for the gold. No one will buy it because it’s apparently cursed.”

He raises a brow and inspects it more thoroughly. A smile tugs at the corners of his mouth. Of course he knows that it’s not cursed, but the notion amuses him. They didn’t know who it belonged to.

“I’ll take it.” He says and pays. It was only a hundred dollars, and it’s hard to fathom that the ring is only worth that much considering how distraught she was, believing that it was lost forever.

The entire venture of tracking it down takes about a month, but the thought of seeing her face when he gives it to her has him rushing back to the Tower and to her room as quickly as he can.

He doesn’t understand why his heart beats rapidly when he knocks on her door. It’s just a ring, it’s not that big of a deal.

 _But it is_ , to her.

So when she opens the door and faces him, brows furrowed in confusion at his unexpected presence he can’t help the grin that graces his features.

“Hi Damian, is everything okay?” She inquires skeptically and this he understands because he knows he doesn’t smile often.

“Yes,” he says and stretches his arm out between them, “I have something for you.”

He waits until her eyes lower to open his palm, and as soon as she spots the ring she gasps breathlessly and one hand reaches out hesitantly to touch it- as if she’s afraid that as soon as she does it will disappear.

“How?...” Her eyes glance back up to him and he just grins like an idiot, encouraging her to take the ring from his hand.

“Luck I suppose.” He clicks his tongue, unwilling to explain the extent of his searching. They both know that he doesn’t believe in luck, but he doesn’t want her to know what lengths he actually went to find the item for her.

“I-“ An emotion bubbles up in her throat and she clears it, and he watches her blink back tears. He shifts, uncomfortable because he never intended to make her cry.

He opens his mouth to apologize but then they snap shut when she suddenly throws her arms around him and he closes his fist to keep the ring from falling out of his hand. The force of the hug throws them both backwards and he stumbles a moment before he’s able to steady them both.

“Thank you.” Raven says, then kisses his cheek softly and he swears that time stops. He can’t help the faint blush that heats his cheeks.

“It wasn’t difficult to find.” He says and pulls back from her so that he can place the ring in her own palm, back to its rightful owner. His chest warms when he watches her cradle it closely, then slip it back on her finger delicately.

“It was Azar’s ring, before she bestowed it to me.” Raven offers, eyes flicking back up to meet his, “This is the last gift she gave me before she died.”

He swallows back the lump in his throat that forms at her admission when he realizes why the ring is so important to her.

“I’m glad to see that it is in your possession once more.” He says gently.

She smiles at him, a simple one, but genuine nonetheless. And in that moment the entire month of interrogating, tracking, and searching seems so small in comparison to her smile.

He didn’t understand why it was so important to her, but he’s glad that he does now, and it was worth every frustration to find it for her.

Because she’s worth it.


End file.
